Merry XMas, Severus
by Michi-chan1
Summary: It's Christmas at Hogwarts. Some like it, others don't. SnapeMcGonagall pairing. I changed the title because I didn't like the old one. Not that this one is any better..


  
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me *sniff*  
Started writing this on December 23th and only now had time to finish it -.-'   
  
I know that McGonagall is supposed to be seventy something but when I read the books I always imagined her and Snape being about the same age. And in my fics I stick to my imagination ^_-.   
Sorry for the stupid title.. it was late and my brain had already switched to standby *g* Oh and please note that I'm no native english speaker, so there may be lots of mistakes in this one ;_;   


  
**Christmas time - too much of Hagrid's punch makes me whine **   
  
  


The sound of the alarm clock woke Minerva McGonagall from her sleep. Slowly she opened her eyes. A ray of bright sunlight fell through a rift in the curtains, and for a minute or two McGonagall just lay in bed and watched specks of dust dance in the sunlight. Then her gaze wandered to the calendar that was hanging on the opposite wall and she realized that today was December 25th. Christmas. 

With a small smile on her lips she pulled back the blankets, got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Afterwards she would go down to the Great Hall and help Professor Flitwick decorate the twelve big trees that Hagrid had brought in from the forest. 

Minerva had always loved Christmas. While she stood in front of the mirror and brushed her hair her mind wandered back to the Christmases of her childhood. Traditionally all members of her family, the McGonagall clan, would gather and celebrate together. Since she had become a teacher at Hogwarts, Minerva had often missed those loud and cheerful feasts, as the school was usually rather empty during the holidays. 

Well, she thought while she pulled back her raven black hair into the tight bun she always wore it in, she could still enjoy Christmas even if she wasn't with her family. 

~*~*~*~ 

She was on her way to the Great Hall when suddenly she heard an angry voice coming from further down the corridor. As she walked closer, she recognized the voice as that of Professor Severus Snape. 

"If you have eyes then use them, for heaven's sake!" 

"I... I'm so sorry, P-professor..." 

Minerva was now close enough to see that Snape was shouting at a second year Hufflepuff girl who obviously had had the unfortunate luck of bumping into him. The poor girl squirmed under his icy stare as she stammered her apology and she breathed a sigh of relief when Snape finally walked away without having given her detention or taken points away from her house. 

Minerva frowned. What was it with that man? Did he always have to terrify the students? Couldn't he be... well to say 'nice' would probably be asking too much, but at least less irritable for just one lousy day the year? 

~*~*~*~ 

When Minerva arrived at the Great Hall it was nearly deserted, except for a few students who were sitting at their house tables, and of course Professor Flitwick who was already decorating the trees. Little sparks flew from his wand and wherever they hit a tree, beautiful ornaments appeared. 

"Good morning, Minerva!" he greeted cheerfully upon noticing her entering. 

"Good morning" she replied "I see you've already been very busy here." she motioned towards a pair of trees that were already fully decorated. 

"Ahh... yes, I started a bit earlier this year. I hope you don't mind me beginning without you, Minerva?" he asked. 

McGonagall chuckled, which was something she did not do often. "No, no I don't mind." she said while turning her attention to a yet bare tree. She pulled out her wand and waved it with a graceful movement of her hand. Sparks shot from its tip and swirled around the tree. 

*** 

Two hours later Minerva added a star to the top of the last tree then took a few steps backwards to survey her work. She was pleased with what she saw. 

"I must say, you've outdone yourself with this one, Minerva!" 

Professor Flitwick, who had just finished his last tree, walked over to McGonagall and admired her tree. 

"Thank you. You've done a very nice job there yourself." 

"Not nearly as good as yours. This tree looks magnificent!" 

Flitwick obviously wasn't alone with his opinion. 

"Wow! That looks absolutely cool, Professor!" exclaimed George Weasley who had just entered the Great Hall with his twin brother Fred. 

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley" Minerva gave him one of her rare smiles. 

"Yeah" added Fred, "but I think something's still missing... Maybe if we put some Filibuster Fireworks between those ornaments and..." 

"Weasley!" 

"A joke, just a joke, Professor!" Fred said quickly. Grinning he grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him to the door, throwing a quick "Hello, Hagrid!" to the Hogwarts gates keeper, whom they passed on their way out. 

"Hullo, boys!" Hagrid shouted cheerfully. He was wearing his brown moleskin coat against the cold temperature outside the castle. In one of his big hands he held a tray on which were a few glasses. Balancing the tray he made his way to his two colleagues, careful that he wouldn't spill the contents of the glasses. 

Flitwick was the first to notice him. "Hagrid! Come to check what we've done with your trees?" 

"Actually" Hagrid said, holding the tray out towards the two Professors, "I wanted your opinion on this here." 

"What's this?" McGonagall asked 

Hagrid blushed slightly It was no secret that he had a little crush on the Transfigurations professor. "Christmas punch." Pause. "I made it myself" he added shyly. 

Minerva stood there, uncertain; not really wanting to test another one of Hagrid's strange concoctions, but on the other hand not wanting to offend Hagrid either. Flitwick, however had no such doubts. Reaching out for one of the glasses, he took it and raised it to his lips. Minerva wondered briefly, if Flitwick had never heard anything about Hagrid's infamous home cooking, or if the man was just very brave. Her eyes were glued to Flitwick's face, as were Hagrid's for that matter, as the small man drank from his glass. 

"Hmmm... that's the best punch I've had in a long time, Hagrid!" Flitwick exclaimed and a broad smile appeared on Hagrid's face. 

"Really?" 

"Absolutely! You have to try it, Minerva" he said, turning to McGonagall who, now having no other choice, also took a glass. She eyed the liquid suspiciously, before finally raising the glass and bringing it to her lips. She was well aware of Hagrid's and Flitwick's eyes on her, so she decided to get this over with as fast as possible. Her eyes closed, she opened her mouth and took a small sip. 

What she hadn't expected was that it tasted good, really good. Its taste reminded her of the punch her grandmother used to make, only that this one was a bit sweeter. 

"What do you think, Professor?" Hagrid still wasn't accustomed to calling the Professors by their given names. At his question she opened her eyes again. 

"My compliments, Hagrid, this is good. Very good, indeed" her lips curved upwards "and I hope you don't mind, me taking some more, do you?" 

Hagrid shook his head vehemently "No! Of course not... Minerva. You too, Filius?" 

"I wouldn't decline the offer" 

Hagrid refilled both their glasses, then took one himself and raised it above his head "To Christmas" he said. 

"To Christmas!" 

~*~*~*~ 

Professor Snape walked into the staff room and closed the door behind him with a loud thud. Pleased, he noticed that he was the only person inside. Good, he thought, finally some peace and quiet. All this fuzz about Christmas as if it were anything other than just another pointless holiday... It was driving him crazy. 

At a wave of his wand flames crackled up in the fireplace, spreading their warmth throughout the room. Snape sat down behind a big oak desk that stood in one corner of the room. 

"Accio!" 

Some sheets that had been lying on a shelf began to move and landed in front of him on the desk. He took the one on top, pulled out his red ink pen and started reading through the paper. 

'To concoct a healing potion you take two toad livers, one crushed dragon's claw...' 

Snape shook his head, while he used his read ink on the paper. With a potion like that you could maybe give someone a really bad case of insomnia, but certainly not heal him. He read the name on top of the homework. A Hufflepuff student. Snape's nose wrinkled, no wonder that boy had no clue as to the finer art of potions brewing. 

When he looked up from his work for a moment, he noticed that it was already getting dark outside. Good, he thought, then this day would be over soon. Only a few more hours, which he'd get over with by concentrating on his work, to distract him from thinking about the reason he hated this day so much. Unlike most of the people around him would assume he hadn't always been like this. There had been a time when he had loved the Christmas day. The way probably every other child, muggle or wizard, loved this day. Until... 

Snape shook his head. He didn't like the direction in which his thoughts were going, didn't want to think about that now. Shoving the upcoming memories aside he bent his head back down and concentrated once again on the paper on his desk. 

~*~*~*~ 

Minerva was on her way to the staff room and she felt slightly dizzy. There must have been one hell of a lot of alcohol in Hagrid's punch she thought. Strange... it actually had tasted like there wasn't any alcohol at all in it. Well, at least now she knew why Hagrid had suddenly appeared so interested in his shoes, when she had suggested he should make some of it for the students. 

*Ohh to hell with it! It's Christmas and it's not as if I'm really drunk* 

She had reached the staff room and opened the door, looking forward to an hour or two of just sitting in one of the comfortable armchairs and reading a book, before it was time to prepare for dinner. She entered the room and suddenly wished she hadn't done so, but gone to her private room instead. Because inside the staff room, sitting behind a big oak desk, was the one person she really wasn't keen on spending any more time than necessary with. Professor Severus Snape. 

When he heard the door open Snape looked up to see, who it was to disturb his solitude. The look on his face after he recognized the intruder, told Minerva that he wasn't any more pleased at seeing her than she was at seeing him. 

"Severus" she said politely as she walked past his desk and sat down in an armchair near the fireplace. 

"Minerva" 

McGonagall let her eyes travel over the books standing on one of the shelves, there and then reading the title on the back. She was still searching, when suddenly a book from another shelf rose into the air and dropped into her lap. 

"Try this one" 

Minerva looked down at the book. 'Medieval muggle technique of torture' 

"Haha, very funny, Severus" 

Snape was smiling; this was obviously his understanding of humor "You don't like it?" 

"You don't expect me to answer, do you?" her voice was politely but her eyes were shooting daggers at him. 

"Accio!" she summoned one of the books and, after having put the other one aside, opened it and began to read. 

She had only read the first two pages, when Snape's voice interrupted her 

"I hope you won't take offense at my question, but why are YOU here?" 

Minerva's head flew up. Okay, so there wasn't much love lost between her and the head of Slytherin house, but was it that bad, that he couldn't even stand being in the same room with her? And moreover, could he get any more blatant about it? 

"Was that your way of saying 'Get out?'" she asked, sounding rather amused. 

"No, I told you it wasn't meant as an offense." That much his words told, the look in his eyes told her something entirely different. 'Get out, stupid bitch and leave me alone to bath in my misery' 

"I take that as an apology for your offense" she said, stressing the last word slightly and grinning inwardly. 

*Damn Christmas punch, I'm in way too good a mood considering that it's Snape in whose company I am* 

"Damn, I told you..." 

"As to your question: I'm reading" 

"Oohh, who would've guessed!" 

"You asked" 

"What I meant was" Uhh, is he gnashing his teeth, Minerva thought. "Why are you up here, and not down with all the others, bursting with joy over that fact that today is Christmas?" 

"You know, Severus" Minerva leaned back in her chair, as if pointing out that she had no intention of leaving any time soon, "I like your conception of what Christmas is like at Hogwarts" A small laugh escaped her mouth, a sound Snape couldn't remember having ever heard from her. He began to wonder if she was alright. 

"You really think, the whole school is sticking together all day, singing, eating cookies and do whatever else??" 

"Isn't that what people do on Christmas?" he practically spat out the word Christmas. 

Minerva let out a sigh "What is it, Severus? What's the problem?" 

"Huh?" her question had caught Snape off guard and he looked at her quizzically. 

"I can't fight the impression that you really do hate Christmas and I know, it's probably none of my business, but is there any reason for that?" 

"What makes you think that?" 

"You seem..." she paused as if contemplating whether she should speak further. 

"I seem what?" he asked impatiently. 

"Well... you seem even more pissed off than usually." she finally blurted out, grinning rather silly. 

Snape stared at her for a moment and Minerva feared she'd gone too far. She silently cursed Hagrid's punch, for she wouldn't have said that normally. She braced herself for another fight with Snape (there was an awful lot of fighting between them). But instead of saying anything, Snape just snorted through his nose and cast his attention back on the homework on his desk, ignoring Minerva. 

Minerva, not pleased at all with being simply ignored by Snape, but at the same time relieved that her comment hadn't caused another argument, for she really didn't feel like fighting on Christmas, decided to drop the matter for the moment. He obviously didn't intend to answer her question, so she shrugged and focused on her book again. For a few minutes they just sat there in silence, Minerva reading and from time to time stealing glances at Snape, and Severus revising homework, using even more red ink than usually. 

"You're right." he said suddenly. 

"Hm?" Minerva looked up, one eyebrow arched in question. 

"It is none of your business." 

"Oh come on! It can't be that bad, can it?" 

"If it isn't 'That bad', as you put it, then why do you want to know?" 

"I don't" she answered and was pleased that her voice sounded bored enough. "I was just... trying to... socialize." 

Snape stared at her as if she had suddenly gone completely nuts "Socialize?! With ME?" 

*Yeah, why do I try to socialize with HIM? I mean, I don't like Snape... and yet... there's something about him... * 

"Why not? You know, just because we're the heads of two rivaling houses, doesn't mean we have to hate each other. Look at Professors Sprout and Sinistra. They're getting along just fine." 

He eyed her levelly "Are you telling me, you want US to be friends, like them?" he asked sarcastically. 

"No! Of course not!" she spluttered, then realized that that probably hadn't been the most 'sociable' thing to say. 

Strangely enough, Snape wasn't the least offended by her reaction, rather he seemed to find it amusing, for a grin appeared on his face. It made him look less... evil in an instant. 

"Ah, this must be the spirit of Christmas speaking through you" 

"You know, I didn't mean it like this!" she cried, "It's just that you... you seem to bring out the worst in me. I know no other person with whom I'm constantly fighting and arguing." 

"So you think it's my fault?" 

"No, damn it! You're twisting everything I say!" 

"Am I?" 

Minerva felt anger rising inside her. The way he was behaving right now, teasing her, trying to provoke her, it seemed that Snape didn't even want to try and improve their working relationship. 

"Hmph, I see it makes no sense trying to talk to you, as you obviously are only making fun of me and sorry, but I don't need that" she said in the coldest voice she could muster. 

Snape sighed. "You want to know? Fine, I'll tell you, if that will make you stop bugging me." What could it hurt, he thought. 

Minerva closed her book and fixed her green eyes on Snape. "It will." 

"Well, then" she leaned forward in her armchair, "I'm all ears." 

"When I was seven years old, my mother left us; ran off with some auror and we never heard from her again. One evening, when my brother and I went to bed she was still there, sitting in her chair in the living room, and the next morning, when I woke up, she was gone. My father never really got over it. Isolated himself from his friends, neglected his children, began to drink, and eventually lost his job. One year after that my younger brother and I were taken from him and went to live with my uncle's family, as our father was no longer capable of taking care of us." 

Snape said all this without any emotion whatsoever showing on his face. Even his voice was as cool and steady as always and Minerva wondered briefly if this man was really so cold that all this was in fact leaving him untouched, or if he simply hid his emotions even better than she would have guessed. No, she thought, it must be the latter. Even Severus Snape, nightmare of every non-Slytherin student, had to have some feelings. But then again he had been a Death Eater once, and McGonagall didn't dare think about the cruelties some Death Eaters had committed during Lord Voldemort's reign. Although for some reason, she really didn't know why, she refused to believe that Severus had been one of the more cruel Death Eaters. 

"They were Muggles, my uncle and his wife," his voice startled her out of her thoughts. "and I wasn't overly thrilled at the prospect of living with them. Not that they treated us bad, in fact I think they made a sincere effort at trying to give us a home. They had just one rule: No magic. And that alone was enough to make my life miserable. So you can imagine I was glad when I finally received my letter from Hogwarts, because it meant I could finally spent time with my kind." 

Guessing at was going on in her mind right now, he quickly said "Rest assured, Minerva, that the similarity of our childhood stories has nothing to do with my dislike for Potter." 

"Anyway" he added "you see it's all really no big deal" 

*Then why does the memory of my father, just sitting in his chair and staring at nothing, being only a shadow of the man he once was, still hurt me?* 

"No big deal? A little boy, who had to watch his father drinking himself to oblivion is NO BIG DEAL?" she almost shrieked. 

*I can't believe this? This can't leave him as unaffected as he is trying to make me believe* 

"Oh, don't look at me with such big eyes!" he growled. 

*Actually I like her eyes... they've got that special glow... What am I thinking??* 

"So, I lied, it was a big deal, happy now?" 

*So he has a heart after all...* 

"No. I'm sorry, Severus." she said softly, compassion in her voice. "I didn't know that" 

"Of course you didn't." he snorted. "No one knows because I never felt the desire to tell anyone and I really don't know why I'm telling YOU know." 

"But all that still doesn't explain why you are in such a particularly bad mood on Christmas." 

"Yeah, it doesn't, does it?" his lips formed a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Well, the night my mother left was the night of Christmas." 

"Oh..." Minerva didn't know what to say to this, so she kept silent. Now she knew the reason for Severus's obvious dislike of this holiday. And with this knowledge could she possibly condemn his attitude towards Christmas anymore? Wouldn't she feel the same, had she been in his place? She, who always had had a loving family. For the first time since she knew him, Minerva had a small insight into the character of Severus Snape and why he was the way he was. 

Staring at a shadow that flickered across the wall, she wasn't aware of Snape's eyes on her, watching her. He wondered what was going on behind her stern features right now. Had he shocked her with his tale? Nah, probably not shocked but surely thrown off course. He bet she hadn't expected what he had told her. 

Minerva looked at her companion again "So that's why you don't approve of it" she said. 

"Approve of what?" 

*What's she after now??* 

"Letting your hair down... so to say. You're afraid of what your father became when he lost control, let himself go. And you try to be the exact opposite, you know, wearing that sinister expression, cold exterior, always severe, all work and no fun..." 

"It's ok! I get the point!" he snapped. "Besides, speak for yourself, McGonagall!" 

"Pardon?" 

"I wouldn't call you the dictionary definition of loosen up either." 

Minerva didn't know what to reply to this, especially since he was right... somehow. Then maybe, when words couldn't do the trick, it was time to resort to action, a part of her, she hadn't even known existed until now, shouted inside her head. And without thinking much she reached her hands back to her hair and began pulling the pins out which were holding her bun in place. 

Snape's jaw dropped. His eyes widened at what he saw. Minerva McGonagall, straight faced, strict, no-nonsense McGonagall pulling the pins out of her hair? 

"Min... Minerva, what are you doing?" Her action had thrown him completely off. 

She gave him a small smile "I'm letting my hair down." 

When she had pulled the last pin out and, she stood up and shook her head slightly which caused her bun to come lose. The long strands tumbling in a wavy black mass down to her waist. 

Slowly as if in some kind of trance Snape (whose jaw was back in place by now) rose from his chair, all the while staring at her. Ok, so he admitted that he had sometimes when he had been bored, very bored indeed, imagined what McGonagall would look like with her hair down. But he had done that simply out of curiosity, nothing more. And never, not even in his wildest dreams, had she looked nearly as beautiful as she did now. Much as he may wanted to, he couldn't tear his eyes from her. 

Outside it had gotten completely dark and the only light in the room came from the flames in the fireplace. Minerva was standing in front of the fire, the flames illuminating her from behind and casting fascinating highlights in her loose hair. To Snape she looked as if she herself was glowing. She seemed like a creature from another world, like an illusion that would vanish anytime. Against his will, his feet were carrying him to her. 

"Why?" he asked, finally getting control over his body again and stopping on the spot. 

"Do I need a reason?" she asked, her voice sounding almost... 

*Seductive? No, I must be hallucinating! After all this IS still Minerva McGonagall..* 

It was now her turn to move and when she walked towards him, it was with a catlike grace he'd never seen on her before. Not that her movements weren't graceful usually, but this was different. The way her hips were swaying, the way her head was bent slightly sideward, the look she threw him from under her dark eyelashes... 

*What the hell am I doing? I can't be that drunk* a voice in Minerva's head screamed but she ignored it. 

She was now directly in front of him, her body mere inches from his. Seconds passed with neither of them doing more than just standing there as if rooted to the spot, staring at the other. Slowly Minerva brought her hand to his cheek and although her touch was gentle Snape winced slightly as if she had burned his skin. 

But she didn't draw back. Instead she stepped even closer to him, and pushing herself on tiptoes, leaned into him and brought her mouth to his ear. Snape's first impulse was to push her away, but he didn't do that. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to do that. And then again, the feeling of her body against his wasn't exactly unpleasant. Her hair smelled delicious, of honey and roses. 

"You know, still Christmas doesn't necessarily have to be a bad day" she whispered and he could feel her hot breath against his ear. Snape wondered how it would feel to hold her in his arms. It wouldn't take much to find out, all he needed to do was lift his arms a little bit and... 

*What the hell am I thinking? Am I crazy?* 

When she pulled back again, a part of him regretted the loss of body contact. 

It had taken Minerva quite some effort to draw back from Severus. Gods, she'd never imagined that she'd actually enjoy being so close to him. 

Yet again they were standing face to face, both silent. The tension in the room was almost palpable. Minerva saw the light of the fire reflected in Severus' dark eyes, but it was nothing against the fire that was burning inside those eyes. 

*I should go, before things really do get out of control...* 

The next second it was as if the tension had snapped as he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, pulling her towards him, the same instant that she threw herself at him, and their bodies clashed together in a passionate embrace. His arms wound around her waist, holding her close, while she sneaked her arms around his neck. All rational thought left Minerva's mind when his lips finally met hers. The kiss lasted for what seemed an eternity, and when they finally drew apart it was only because the need for oxygen demanded it. 

Both were panting heavily. Snape stared at McGonagall, unable to believe what just happened. He hadn't just kissed her? And moreover, he hadn't really enjoyed it, had he?? A smile graced Minerva's lips that were red and swollen from their kiss. Snape couldn't help but think that she had never looked more beautiful. And hadn't she taken that moment to step back he wasn't sure if he had been able to suppress the urge to kiss her again. 

"Wow... that certainly wasn't what I had in mind" she whispered. 

"Same here" 

"And yet it happened and you know what, Severus?" her smile turned wicked "I would have never thought you were such a good kisser." 

Before Snape could reply anything, she had already turned around and opened the door. "See you at dinner" 

Minerva had almost closed the door behind her, when she turned around and looked at him once more "Oh and by the way, Merry Christmas, Severus!" 

And with that she was gone, leaving a dumbstruck Professor Snape staring after her. 

Well, thought Snape as he left the room a few minutes later to go down to the Great Hall, maybe, just maybe, Christmas wasn't that bad after all. 

The End... ??? 

... there are still so many other holidays ^_- 


End file.
